Yesterday I met with Robert Rinck, a visiting researcher (from US) for the Refugee Youth Soccer Development Program. Cool bloke, and he's going to help me get involved in the program. It will be a good link for the Youth and Sport project I am working on. I love the work some people do ... and this is a good example of a community-based research project. Project Manager is Anne Bunde-Birouste in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales. What a top effort. If anyone else is interested let me know
Here is the blurb from the site:
This innovative program seeks to assist young refugees in their immigration and integration to Australia by providing a supporting and enjoyable environment through a soccer development program. While the focus is particularly on youth, the program will contain elements designed to contribute to building community cohesion among the different refugee communities, but will also explore potential for bridging across different Australian communities. The program combines a number of approaches that have had documented success such as the use of sport to bring people from differing communities together. Fundamental as well is the use of proven effective social intervention strategies which associate factors of personal development with social development, such as empowerment and life-skills workshops, and youth mentorship programs. In addition the program will put into practice recommendations recently made at the 6th Global Conference on Health Promotion convened by the World Health Association in Bangkok, Thailand (August 2005), most specifically that of innovative, private-public multi-sectoral partnerships that support local engagement and action.
Aims
To contribute to building social cohesion in refugee communities through a youth soccer program;
Promote social inclusion and address issues of disaffection amongst young refugees; and
To contribute to building racial harmony and social integration across communities within the New South Wales area, through support for youth soccer development.